Braun out with ribcage stiffness

Ryan Braun’s return to the Cactus League didn’t last long.

Braun, the Brewers left fielder who is back from the World Baseball Classic, never took the bat off his shoulder in two plate appearances against the Dodgers and then left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with what a Brewers spokesperson called, “right side stiffness.” Braun has been dealing with that ailment for about 10 days, and it’s a recurrence of the problem that dogged him last August and September.

It would be very bad news for the Brewers if this injury lingers, but Braun did not seem worried before taking the field on Wednesday. He said the current injury “is in the same place, but it’s far less severe,” than the intercostal strain that he played with in 2008.

“It’s a little scary because it’s similar to last year,” Braun said. “But the good thing is that I know what to expect, I know how to deal with it and get back on the field. It’s not where it needs to be yet.”

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